


Here For You

by thedollopheadofCamelot



Category: Merlin - Fandom
Genre: BBC, Brief Uther, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, Magic Reveal, Magic Revealed, Magic! Reveal, Merlin's Magic Revealed, Probably a oneshot, Uther - Freeform, Uther Pendragon - Freeform, Uther hates magic, Uther whyyy, conflicted Arthur, magic oneshot, magic reveal story, magic!reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-17
Updated: 2016-10-17
Packaged: 2018-08-15 16:28:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8063635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedollopheadofCamelot/pseuds/thedollopheadofCamelot
Summary: Arthur wants to believe he's right in his belief that his father is wrong about magic.





	

Arthur can't help but to wonder what the hell Merlin thinks he's doing when he leans over the table to pour him more wine and freezes. His eyes light up with horror and for a moment he looks absolutely terrified. And it takes Arthur a moment longer to process just what his father's said this time to make his manservant clamp up like that and then he hears the tail end of what Uther's saying- "...must gather up all the druids and kill them. All magic is evil and must be eliminated at all costs. All people who have magic are corrupt. Sorcerers should be killed on sight."

Arthur's blood runs cold at the words. Couldn't the king hear what he was saying? The prince heard the hatred in his father's voice and it made him feel sick. There had been so many incidents that sorcerers had done horrible, messed up things but Arthur couldn't bring himself to feel the same way. They were people just as much as they were and yes, they were much scarier and had more power, but that didn't mean they weren't just as human, right? Arthur took a deep breath, his heart hammering in his chest, "Father, the druids are a peaceful people and they mean us no harm. They are no threat to Camelot or anyone for that matter. Surely they cannot fall under this category. Surely not all magic users use their powers for evil acts." Arthur felt Merlin's hand grab onto his shoulder tightly. As much as he wanted to look at his friend's face, at the moment he knew he couldn't break his father's seething gaze.

" _Arthur_ ," Uther said warningly as if commanding him to take back what he had just said and apologize right the hell now. He had the scary 'how dare you embarrass me in front of all these people, I should just disown you right now, god forbid you say anything else that could lay such a scar on me and all of Camelot' look. He could feel his knees shaking under the table and he did not know how much longer he could keep a hold on this sudden defiance and keep on looking into his angry eyes. He knew Uther wouldn't allow this and he knew the fear building up inside him was wise and realistic but he couldn't take the words back and he didn't want to. 

The prince nearly jumped out of his seat when he felt something wet seeping into his clothes. It made his eyes break from his father's face. He glared at his manservant in disbelief, seeing the pitcher in his hands at a dangerous angle. "Merlin, you idiot!" Arthur exclaimed automatically, staring down in surprise at his newly wine soaked lap.

"Oh, sire, I'm so sorry!" Merlin started. "Sorry! We must get you cleaned up right away, sire!"

Arthur was the only one who seemed to notice how falsely sorry Merlin really was, possibly from his years of practice, realizing the real reason behind the scene he had caused. He almost smiled, feeling this overwhelming gratitude bubbling up in his chest because of his dear friend. He stood up rather quickly with one last glance at his father, asking for permission to take his leave and only received a withering look Arthur could only interpret as 'and don't come back.' He bolted toward the door with Merlin hot on his heels hearing the king say to the visiting royal, "Please excuse my son. He hasn't been in his right mind all night. I don't know what's gotten into him..." before he'd even left the room.

As they were walking down the halls, he felt Merlin grab at his shoulder again like he had back at the feast. "Arthur, slow down," he gasped desperately.

The prince whirled around and stopped dead, making his servant almost run into him. "You know what the worst part is?" He challenged, feeling angry and not wanting to keep it in any longer. "He's always like this!" Merlin's eyes softened at this and Arthur couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. "Merlin..." There was a great tightness in his throat that he couldn't make go away. He blinked a few times and squared his jaw but it didn't help. He abruptly just wished this night would go ahead and end.

"Come on, Arthur," Merlin said gently, taking him by the arm and guiding him toward his own chambers. 

Once they were inside, Merlin sat Arthur down on the bed and swiftly got out his night clothes, laying them out for the prince. 

"Thank you, Merlin..." Arthur said quietly, as if trying to encompass everything within that one little sentence. He felt so tired and upset and let his eyes just swim out of focus. His hands clung to the bed sheets miserably as if they were all that was holding him up.

Merlin sat down beside him and stared off, not really seeing as he let his thoughts slide from his tongue. "You were really brave in there, standing up to your father to say what you believed. You were amazing and I couldn't be prouder. You will make a great king someday."

Arthur looked over at his friend, feeling his heart swell at the words. Somehow it made him so happy to have Merlin's approval, that in that moment, no one else's opinion mattered to him more. 

"What you said was right. But I fear the king is too full of hatred to see it. He doesn't love you any less, he's just stuck in his ways..."

Arthur nodded, feeling an overwhelming sadness again. He gulped and looked down at his feet. "I just wish I had proof sometimes, if not for him then at least for me. If I could just meet one magic user who wasn't evil, then I could finally know."

Merlin looked at him strangely before asking, "Are you sure you'd really want to know? Even with Uther still persecuting them and killing them?"

"I just know. He has to be wrong. There has to be one good sorcerer out there at least. I could change the law when I'm king so only those who abuse it and use it in such unjust ways will be punished just as anyone else who breaks the law."

Merlin smiled widely at him. But he missed it as he was buried further into his own thoughts.

"I just wish I knew and could trust one person with magic..." Arthur looked down at his hands and felt his throat constrict. Merlin must have thought him foolish talking like this. They both knew how evil magic could be and how untrustworthy sorcerers were. They'd had their fair share of incidences. He was being so stupid. The world was too full of hate. But then he thought about the druids. How kind they were... None of it seemed right to him. The executing. His father's words. They stung him hard with a feeling of such utter _wrongness_. And it was so hard for him to gather and understand what truly was right when he faced both sides in his head. 

Merlin got up and walked toward the door, locking it and Arthur watched him with wide eyes. "Merlin what-?" He started in confusion as Merlin came to sit back down, eyeing the sword on his his belt for a moment in a weary sort of way.

"Arthur," Merlin whispered. "Hold out your hands like this." He demonstrated by cupping his hands out in front of him and watched his friend quietly, searching his face.

The prince stared at him for a moment, wanting to argue 'Have you lost your mind? I give the orders around here, _Mer_ lin' but somehow the way Merlin was looking at him, the way he looked so serious, stopped him. Instead he copied the servant and just waited, heart beating fast. 

Merlin sighed out all of his air and placed his hands just above Arthur's, speaking in a tongue the royal couldn't understand. Merlin removed his hands and Arthur gasped as butterflies and beautiful spheres of light came spiraling out of his cupped hands. He watched in awe as they flew around the room and hovered in his palms. He grinned and laughed in surprise, barely taking it all in.

He looked over at his friend, smile still on his face, because this was just so perfect. Merlin, the most gentle, kind person he knew _with magic!_ "Merlin, this is amazing! I-" But Arthur's smile disappeared when he saw that Merlin was crying. He dropped his arms and slid closer to him, surprise and worry climbing up his throat. "Merlin, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry- I'm so sorry," Merlin choked out, his eyes full and spilling over. 

"Merlin-" He started, not realizing yet why his friend had gotten so upset all of a sudden.

"I should have told you about my magic I... I'm so sorry, Arthur!" Merlin sobbed.

_Magic. Merlin has magic_. Arthur thought, the words sounding so very foreign. "Merlin- Merlin look at me. You have to calm down," he tried desperately, not liking seeing him like this. 

Merlin shook his head, burying his face in his hands. "I-I can't. You must hate me now..."

Arthur's heart clenched. Hate Merlin? Hate? He could never hate Merlin, not even if he wanted to. How could Merlin ever even think...? "No, oh gods no, Merlin," he choked out hoarsely around the pain growing inside his chest.

"I have magic, Arthur!" Merlin yelled, voice high and messy. "I've been lying to you! I-It's against the la-"

"I don't care!" The prince yelled back, matching his volume. "You are my best friend, Merlin! I will not have you thinking that I hate you or anything of the sort! You were lying for good reason! Magic may be against the law, but it is my father's law, not mine! In fact, I'm glad it's you. I'm glad it's you. I don't trust anyone more."

At those words, Merlin burst into a watery grin that made the Once and Future King's heart swell. "Arthur!" Merlin cried, as he lunged forward and flung his arms around him. 

Arthur smiled softly and hugged his friend back. It was hard to believe that just a few moments ago, he had been in such hurt from his father and such turmoil over his own beliefs, questioning his whole long life of hearing magic users over and over again being called evil and watching them burn. It was hard to believe that Merlin had given him everything he had been longing for- the reassurance that everything was alright, that his father had always been the same hardheaded man and that that couldn't possibly be his fault; that he was right, that magic could be good, that not all magic users were evil... With Merlin in his arms, suddenly things were set into place. He would let his mind be overwhelmed later by the fact that his best friend had magic and had feared he would hate him and that there was so much he still had to learn, about Merlin and about a whole other world he didn't know the first thing about and that he had so many changes to make once he was king. But right now he just smiled because this bliss was something he wanted to hold onto. And never let go. 

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the tense change at the beginning and the run-on sentences, though I don't really regret them.


End file.
